Mum petitions for pedestrian crossing on Windsor Road

A mother-of-four has launched a petition calling on the council to create a crossing on the A308 so she can navigate the ‘busy and dangerous’ road safely.

From November, when Braywick Court School re-opens at its Hibbert Road site, Kim Szymanski will need to cross the 40mph Windsor Road.

She lives in Priors Way and would like to see a crossing positioned next to an alleyway leading from Priors Way, which comes out on the A308.

Kim said: “How can the council say that it wants to go green when it won’t allow its residents to walk safely to school or to the new leisure centre?

“Having a signalled pedestrian crossing means that school children can safely cross that busy and dangerous road.

“Reducing the number of cars on the road will lower emissions and provide a healthier lifestyle for all. How can the council put a cost on that?”

Kim had a meeting with Cllr David Coppinger (Con, Bray) and Braywick Court School headteacher Gemma Donnelly about the crossing in the spring.

She said: “I came out thinking ‘that went so well this is going to happen’. He then emailed me a bit later and said it had been commissioned.”

However Kim has been left disappointed that progress has halted.

Cllr Coppinger said: “The schedule that was originally discussed was a simple crossing with just a central reservation. This could have been funded from current resources.

“Following a meeting of residents with an officer this has become a lights controlled crossing with the need to widen pavements and purchase land.

“This is a very expensive scheme and will take time. There is a need for a crossing and we will implement it as soon as possible.”

A spokeswoman from the Royal Borough said: “If we are able to find a feasible, affordable solution we will make a bid for funding so that the scheme could be considered as part of a future capital programme.”

To view Kim’s petition on the matter go to petitions.rbwm.gov.uk/Crossing

James Ruffell and his Ministry of Silly Walks Signs. James put up a Ministry of Silly Walks sign to encourage people to do a silly walk when they go past his house. The idea is based on a scene from the Monty Python movie. High Street, Sonning. James Ruffell